Master of Professional Studies in Leadership

Today’s complex global environment requires leaders to reflect and focus on developing their own unique leadership capabilities. Developing the Leader Within provides the foundation for leadership growth by integrating dimensions of applied leadership theory, approaches, and behaviors that prepare leaders to act with clarity and purpose in complex organizational settings. 

Participants review the evolution of modern leadership theories, complete leadership self-assessments, engage in experiential learning to practice leadership skills, articulate their authentic leadership approaches, and initiate a Master Leadership Portfolio which culminates in the program’s capstone experience.
 

As organizations adapt to evolving landscapes, leaders are expected to build trust and inspire action across organizations and stakeholders to lead innovation. The Leadership Presence and Communication course equips emerging leaders with the techniques needed to develop authentic connections to strengthen team and organizational cohesion. Participants develop a toolkit of effective written and oral communication strategies and gain practice in applying a framework of leadership presence to drive performance and achieve impactful organizational results.

Effective leaders shape organizational success not only through strategy but also by cultivating ethical, resilient, and thriving work environments. The Healthy Leadership and Organizational Culture course investigates the principles and practices of healthy leadership, with an emphasis on integrity, transparency, and accountability as the foundation for fostering trust, promoting employee well-being, and sustaining organizational resilience.  Learners critically analyze both exemplary and destructive leadership behaviors to develop the insight and skills necessary for addressing the impacts of ethical failures, misuse of power, and toxic culture dynamics.

Finance for Leadership equips students with a practical understanding of the financial principles and data-driven insights that shape fiscally responsible decision-making. Learners will evaluate how financial analysis, risk assessment, resource allocation, and key performance indicators influence organizational performance. Participants apply an evidence-based framework to guide financial decisions with transparency and integrity, address fiscal challenges, and cultivate environments where resilience and innovation can thrive. Class members will engage in leadership simulations, case studies, and relevant scenarios to gain confidence in applying financial skills to their professional roles.

Effective leaders must guide organizations through vision and sound direction to arrive at stable strategies that deliver long-term value and growth. The Strategic Frameworks course equips developing leaders with the analytical tools needed to interpret complex environments, evaluate organizational trade-offs, and chart purposeful direction. Class members employ different strategic models and contexts to evaluate organizational outcomes of each approach.

This course Introduces the essentials of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a discipline and as it relates to analytics in supporting the process of decision making. Students will learn fundamentals of methods and techniques used to develop business analytics. The course introduces examples, products, and services used by modern day organizations using AI and various types of analytics to make business decisions.

Optimizing team performance requires a deep understanding of how people think, behave, and collaborate. Leading High-Performance Teams equips class members with an understanding of the cognitive and behavioral forces that shape team dynamics. Learners will explore how cognition, motivation, communication patterns, and interpersonal dynamics shape team dynamics. Course participants develop an evidence-based framework to assist their capacity to guide teams with authenticity, address performance challenges constructively, and create environments where innovation and collective achievement can thrive.

Modern leaders must navigate constant disruption, making innovation not just a competitive advantage but an essential driver of long-term resilience and growth. Frameworks for Innovation examines the mindsets, structures, and organizational conditions that enable creative problem solving. Course participants learn to assess innovation readiness, influence stakeholder alignment, and lead the processes between exploration and operational execution. Emerging leaders develop the skills needed to identify problems of practice, generate novel approaches, and guide teams through iterative cycles of discovery and refinement.

Information Design and Visual Communication is an interdisciplinary course that ranges from the development of graphs and data visualizations to the design of geographical information, logos, images, and dashboard composition for diverse stakeholders. Learners develop techniques to prepare data for visualization, choose a relevant visual framework to represent data, and apply principles of visual design to enhance audience understanding and appeal of those designs.  Information Design and Visual Communication is grounded in the disciplines of psychology, statistics, cognitive science, and design composition.

The culminating course in the program offers emerging leaders the opportunity to synthesize and apply their knowledge by completing an organizational thesis project that addresses a relevant leadership challenge. Building on insights from their Master Leadership Portfolio of self-assessments, course participants evaluate organizational practices, identify challenges, and uncover opportunities for improvement. Emphasis is placed on evidence-based decision-making, strategic analysis, effective communication, and executive presence throughout the research and evaluation process. Based on their findings, students develop a practical proposal for actionable change or for a strategic plan designed to enhance performance, foster resilience, and drive innovation. At the end of the course, participants will present their proposals and demonstrate the ability to apply leadership theory, analytical frameworks, and practical strategies that showcase their ability to design impactful leadership solutions. This course is not available for non-degree seeking students.